Typewriter keys identification board



M130, 1957 R. R. POTTER 2,800,727

TYPEWRITER KEYS IDENTIFICATION BOARD Filed May *9. 1956 1Y0 .20 INVENTOR liasse!! j? Waffel I!) rm, 4 A- l 33 ATTORNEYS United States Patent ice l 2,800,727 TYPEWRITER KEYS IDENTIFICATION BOARD Russell R. Potter, Jackson Heights, N. Y. Application May 9, 1956, Serial No. 583,746 1 Claim. (Cl.355)

This invention relates in-general-to a typewriter key identification board, and in particular to `an identification board to beused in teaching and trainingblind personshow to operate a typewriter and to identify'the locations of keys on a regular or standard type of typewriter.

Basically, the novel device of this invention is an identification board on which rBraille symbols have been mounted in a pattern imitativeof typewriter key positions of a regular typewriter. These Braille symbols may be mounted upon simulated typewriter keys which are mounted on the face of the board, or within circular grooves formed in the face of the board, or the several symbols may be positioned on the board with definite spaces between them. The Braille symbols are raised, so that a sightless person can quickly identify the letter or mark represented thereby. v

To aid the blind student-typist to locate his hands in the proper position with respect to the Braille symbols on the identification board without outside aid, a series of removable vanes are positioned in the identification board in a satisfactory manner as by inserting them Vin grooves provided in the face of the identification board. These vanes separate aseries of adjacent symbols, so that, by. placing his ngers between the vanes, the blind-studentV typist will quickly and Braille symbols.

As the student developes skill and confidence, the vanes onthe identification board can be removed one by one, until he has mastered the identification board without them. At an advanced point in his learning, the student will begin practice on an operative typewriter, where he can-further develop his skill through the use of the vanes described in a previous patent, Potter No. 2,491,332.

The identification board with its vanes may, however, bepositioned beside the operative typewriterY or be positioned in the lap of the student-learner so that the positions of the keys of the operative typewriter can be readily located by the positions of the vanes on the operative typewriter and the corresponding vanes on the identification board. Therefore, the learner can quickly increase his skill of operation by checking the positionsV of the vanes on the typewriter and the vanes on the identification board and noting the position of the Braille symbols of the identification board in relation to the keys of the operative typewriter. This procedure the blind person can do without questioning the instructor. It has been found that this procedure permits the blind person to conduct his practice work at home and thus become more proficient in a much shorter time.

A major feature of the present invention is that it provides a much needed device which allows a blind person to teach himself how to operate a typewriter without having to seek assistance continually during his learning period from someone who can see. Sightless persons dislike having constantly to ask those who can see to help them.

. Another feature of the present invention is that it provides an improved device for the training of a blind person at a much lower cost than that noted above for the average handicapped person, whether blind or otherwise handicapped, and for giving a type of' employment where competent workers are needed and where a blind person will be able to complete successfully` With persons who have "their sight. The blinds acute sense of touch will aidhim in attaining'remarkable proficiency in the operation Vof the operative typewriter.

properly position his fingers on the 2,800,727 Patented July 30, 1957 It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel typewriter identification board which will allow blind persons to train themselves to operate a typewriter.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a` novel typewriter identification board which provides Braille symbols arranged to simulate an operative typewriter keyboard.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a novel typewriter identification board which provides keys simulating a real typewriter keyboard and has Braille symbols mounted on the surface ofthe outlined keys. p

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel typewriter identification boardwhich contains generally transverse grooves in which fingering vanes may be mounted as finger-guiding means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel typewriter identification board which will be economical to manufacture and a large portion of which may be'formed in'a single, molding operation when made of plastic or alloy metals.

These and other objects and features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparentwhen taken in connection with the illustration of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; Y

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; l Fig. 4 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5.-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragment view, partly in section of the practice board showing the Braille symbols surrounded by an annular groove; and

Fig. 7 is like Fig. 6, without the annular groove and having a definite space between two of the Braille symbols.

In referring tothe drawings, it will be noted that a board 10 is provided with elements placed in proper position to simulate the` keys of a regular, standard typewriter, and itv instructing and locating board can have its surface provided with one or more features for locating the Braille symbols and numbers, and having the Braille symbols so positioned that the blind-student-learner can quickly determine the corresponding position of letters and number on. the standard form of typewriter.

Referring again to the drawings, Fig. lishows the support 1t) in which have been formed a series of generally transverse grooves, numbered 11 to 17. The grooves extend from the front edge 19 of the face 20 of the support 10 to a point near the rear edge 21 of the face 20. Mounted in a suitable manner on the face 20 are a plurality of Braille symbols in the form of keys which simulate typewriter keys and are arranged in a pattern imitative of a standard typewriter keyboard.

Unlike a typewriter keyboard, however, the keys 22 do not yield to the touch but preferably are firmly anchored in the support 10. As best seen in Fig. 3, each key 22 is, for the purposes of illustration, attached rmly to the support 10 by means of a screw 23. Raised Braille symbols 24, corresponding to the letter and number symbols of standard typewriter keys, are affixed to the upper surface 25 of each key 22.

In-providing'a guide-'board of structure particularly usablebythe student, it is-desired to employal seriesof vanes which particularly function as guiding and locating vanes. For instance, if a blind Vperson has his fingers on al f standardI typewriter keyboard-A and` intouch with the vanes therein,l hel canfdecidefthe-location4 of particular keys:of tlestandardftypewriter by -feeling'the numbers-and positionsof the-several vanes,-and1he-then-can reach' to' lthe4 instruction board and-count ofi the number ofvanesv and--theinlocat-ions, andl place-'his fingers ontheL regular keys of the board which carries the Braille symb'ols. The -vanesimaylbe of any particular construction and materials and preferably-a thin; ffat'gvane'28` is adapted to 'fit-within' eachfof'the Agrooves and; when-within said groove; it remains in substantial vertical position and'usually protrudes above the face 20 and upper surfaces 25 of the-keys 22y toforrn: the finger-*guiding means. shown-in Fig; l, all thevanesZS, exceptthat vane which is Vshowninwpartially removedfposition; arenin vertical position and have been inserted'so'thatthey-are contiguous with that'portion-ofthegrooye'which' is nearest the rear edge 21 ofthe support 10.v Aevanel 28A in operative positionisY alsoshown'in'FigsrZ and 3.' InY order to facilitate the insertiony of a vane 28 in agroove, each'groove terminates at the front edge 19 in a arediend29, and preferably the Agrooves arenarrowA sozthatthevanes usually fit by friction gripping., i

However; another 'manner-of embodiment of the invention is shown in' Figs; 4'Vand'5. In this embodiment notches 32, adapted to retain resilient' members such as rubberbands, or strings 33, have been formed in the end sections 30.A and31`of theA suppor-t ltl'at points in proximity to the front` edge 19and backA edge 21 of the support 10. The modified" form of vanes 35; to bev inserted inthe grooves 11e-17`- of this second embodiment of the invention, whichY groovesV are substantially identical with the grooves ofFig. l, are'bestseen in Fig. 5. Each vane 35 is provided with a portion which engages the rubber bands or strings 33 to be held in place and in this instance has a forwardly'projecting fiange .36a11d a rearwardly projecting flange 37. When the vanes 35 are in position in the grooves 11-17, having'been forcedtherein as far to the rear as possible, the resilient members 33 will overlie the flanges 36 and 37, thus keeping the vanes 35 from being easily disturbed and yet not interfering with the keys 22.

In use by a blind person, the embodiment shown in Figs. l-3 is-asscmbled by sliding a vanc 2S in cach of the grooves 11-17, using the flared. ends 29 to facilitate the 4 Relying on his sense'of touch, the blind student position of theY letters and figures of the identification board, whichsimulate the arrangement of a standard typewriterr keyboard. He practices moving his fingers to spell out words.

When he has attained' an increased degree of proficiency he positions the identification board 10 with its vanes 28 beside an actual typewriter, which also has vanes which correspond in position to the vanesV of the identification board. Such an'operative keyboard with vanes has been described in Patent No. 2,491,332 to Russell R. Potter. The sightlessstudent can then rapidly increase his skill on the operative keyboard by checking his finger positions with regard ,toV the vanesA of -the operative keyboard with those same finger positionson the identification board, whose keys hecan identify dueto their raised Braille symbols; f

As the blind students proficiency increases still further, he may remove the vanes 28one by one from the grooves 13, 15, 12, 16, 11, 17 andV finally 14 of the identification board. At the same time he will remove the corresponding vanes from the operative typewriter keyboard, until he finally is typing on the operative keyboardwithout -2,soo,727

AsV

vanes, and only occasionally-checking his finger position by means-of the identification board described herein.

The use of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings is the same as that described just preceding, except that after the vanes 35 have been put in placel in` the grooves 11"-17, the resilient members 33 areplaced about the support 10'in cooperation with the notches 32, and overlie the flanges 36 and 37 of the vanes 35. This overlyinghelps to retain the vanesv35 in place.

As noted in the'beginningof the description, the'Braille symbols mayY be locatedin the face ofthe board, as particularly shown in modification illustrated in Figs. 6 andl 7.` In vthose showings, andespecially in Fig. 6, a channel or groove 40 isformedarounda Braille symbol A41' and constitutes an equivalenti to. one. of the keysl shownin Figs.. 1 to 5. The blind-student-learner willv be able, to readily feel the Braille symbfolv withthe adjacentgroove. In Fig. 7 the location of 'the Braille symbols is in the surface 20 of therboardI and the location of the symbols for the figures and numbers is Aobtained by the student noting the distance between the symbols, which distance is generally indicated by the numeral 42. Thus, the blind-student-learner can learn to use the identification i board whether it is provided with key-like elements 22,

ent invention a blindstudent-typist will be greatly as Not only will sisted in the mastering of the typewriter.

A his rate of llearning be accelerated, but he will be able to teach himselfwithout the constant dependence on a person who can see. By using the identification board described herein. in conjunction with a series of similar vanes onan operative typewriter key-board, the blind student can check his own work. If he is in doubt as tol the position of any letter or figulre on the operative keyboard, he need only transfer his hands Vto the identification board; locate the proper Braille symbol, and then, with the aid of the vanes of both key-boards, or by counting the number of keys from the right hand or left hand end of a particular row, and relocate that letter or symbol on the operative key-board.

It will be apparent that modifications and alterations may be made within the scope of the invention. As the foregoing descriptionand drawings are for purposes of illustration only, theinvention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

A typewriter identification board comprising a support having a face and containing at least one generally transverse groove extending'from the lower edge of said face to a. point nearthe upper edge of said face, simulated keys adapted Vto becontacted by the fingers positioned on said face in a pattern imitative of typewriter key positions, each of said grooves separating a pair of horizontally adjacent, simulated keys, raised Braille symbols corresponding to symbols on conventional typewriter keys affixed to theupper surfaces of said simulated keys, and a thin', flat vane cooperating with each of said grooves, said vane lying partially within said groove and extending sufficiently above the upper surfaces of said simulated keys to form finger-guiding means, means to retain said vanes in finger guiding position, said retaining means cornprising at least one resilient member which encircles said support and overlies a portion of said vane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,377,070 Helguera May 3, 1921 1,614,390 Randall Ian. 11, 1927 1,823,130 Smith Sept. 15, 1931 2,154,478 Smith Apr. 18, 1939 

